{{Short description|American politician and attorney}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jay Lucas | image = Jay Lucas.jpg | office = 60th Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives | term_start = December 2, 2014 | term_end = May 12, 2022 | predecessor = Bobby Harrell | successor = Murrell Smith | state_house1 = South Carolina | district1 = 65th | term_start1 = December 1, 1998 | term_end1 = December 6, 2022 | predecessor1 = John Michael Baxley | successor1 = Cody Mitchell | birth_name = James Howle Lucas | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|8|11}} | birth_place = Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | spouse = Tracy Deglman | education = University of South Carolina (BA, MPA, JD) }} '''James Howle "Jay" Lucas''' (born August 11, 1957) is an American politician and attorney.<ref name="legislature">{{Cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1126136229|title=South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography|website=www.scstatehouse.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-05-18|archive-date=2012-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322195410/http://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1126136229|url-status=live}}</ref> He served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 65th District from 1999 to 2022. Lucas is a Republican.<ref>{{cite web|title=James Lucas|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24993/james-lucas|publisher=Project Vote Smart|access-date=April 25, 2015|archive-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506173531/https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24993/james-lucas|url-status=live}}</ref>
Lucas was elected Speaker of the House in December 2014 after the resignation of Bobby Harrell.<ref name="speaker">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article13922993.html|title=New speaker's political savvy springs from small-town roots|work=thestate|access-date=2018-05-18|language=en|archive-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104062801/https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article13922993.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 15, 2022, he announced his decision to not run for reelection to the South Carolina House. He was succeeded as speaker by Murrell Smith.<ref name="retire">{{cite news |last=Adcocx |first=Seanna |date=March 15, 2022 |title=Bowing out, SC House Speaker Jay Lucas won't seek reelection, ending 24-year career |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/bowing-out-sc-house-speaker-jay-lucas-wont-seek-re-election-ending-24-year-career/article_3e6dfbc8-a3cb-11ec-b18c-2b8e886e2b5e.html |work=The Post and Courier |access-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401051055/https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/bowing-out-sc-house-speaker-jay-lucas-wont-seek-re-election-ending-24-year-career/article_3e6dfbc8-a3cb-11ec-b18c-2b8e886e2b5e.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Political career== Lucas's political career began in the 1980s as he held various local positions. From 1982 to 1984, he served as the financial director for Bennettsville. From 1984 to 1986, he was county administrator of Fairfield County. From 1990 to 1994, he was the county attorney for Darlington County, and from 1995 to 1996, was a judge for Hartsville in Darlington.<ref name="legislature" />
Lucas entered state level politics in 1998 when he became the Republican nominee for South Carolina House of Representatives District 65, which was being vacated by incumbent Democrat Michael Baxley. On November 3, 1998, Lucas defeated Democratic nominee Tony Floyd by less than forty votes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scvotes.gov/cgi-bin/scsec/r1 |title=South Carolina Election Returns |website=scvotes.org |access-date=April 1, 2022 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He became the first Republican to hold the seat since the Reconstruction era.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pye |first=Jana E. |date=December 8, 2015 |title=Meet the Dancers! |url=https://www.newsandpress.net/meet-the-dancers/|url-status=live |work=News and Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020163434/https://www.newsandpress.net/meet-the-dancers/ |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |access-date=April 1, 2022}}</ref>
On December 2, 2014, Lucas became the 60th Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives following the resignation of Speaker Bobby Harrell.<ref name="speaker" /> He would hold the position of Speaker for the next eight years. He retired from the position on May 12, 2022.<ref name="retire" /> The house elected Murrell Smith as Lucas' successor.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Mary |title=SC House unanimously elects next Speaker |url=https://www.wistv.com/2022/04/28/sc-house-elects-next-speaker-unanimously/ |website=WISTV |access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{CongLinks|votesmart=24993}} * {{Ballotpedia|James_Lucas|Jay Lucas}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Bobby Harrell}} {{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives|years=2014–2022}} {{s-aft|after=Murrell Smith Jr.}} {{s-end}}
{{Speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucas, Jay}} Category:1957 births Category:21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly Category:Lawyers from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:South Carolina lawyers Category:Speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:University of South Carolina alumni